Stokes Flow Research Articles

A pressure-projection pre-conditioning multi-fractional-step method for Navier–Stokes Flow in Porous Media

A new pressure-projection pre-conditioning multi-fractional-step (PPP-MFS) method for incompressible Navier–Stokes flow in porous media is presented. This fractional step method is applied to decouple the pressure and the velocity; thereby, overcoming the computational costs and difficulty associated with the resolution of the nonlinear term in the Navier–Stokes equation for fine geometric models. Specifically, time evolution is decomposed into a sequence of multi-fractional solution steps. In the first step, an elliptic problem is solved for pressure (p) with a no-slip boundary condition. This gives the Stokes pressure and velocity fields. In the second step, the obtained pressure p is then projected onto the field p∗ and used to solve for velocity field (u) required for the pre-conditioning of the solution to the Navier–Stokes equation. The pressure and velocity fields are obtained from the solution of the Navier–Stokes equation in the third step. Numerical and geometric discretisation of porous samples were carried out using finite-element method. For flow in simple channel models represented by two- and three-dimensions and in systems with high conductivity, the Stokes and Navier–Stokes numerical solutions produced close pressure and velocity field approximations. For flow around a cylinder, computation time is consistently higher in the Navier–Stokes equation by a factor of 2 with a pronounced non-symmetric pressure field at high mesh refinements. This computation time is desirable given that Navier–Stokes computation without preconditioning can be orders of magnitude more expensive.

Homogenized color-gradient lattice Boltzmann model for immiscible two-phase flow in multiscale porous media

In this paper, a homogenized multiphase lattice Boltzmann (LB) model is established for parallelly simulating immiscible two-phase flow in both solid-free regions (pore scale) and porous areas (continuum scale). It combines the color-gradient multiphase model with the Darcy–Brinkman–Stokes method by adding a term that includes surface force and drag force of porous matrix to multiple-relaxation-time LB equation in moment space. Moreover, an improved algorithm is proposed to characterize and implement the apparent wettability in the locally homogenized porosity field. Validations and test cases are given to demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of this new model, as well as its applicability for trans-scale fluid simulation of transport and sorption behavior from porous (Darcy flow) area to free (Stokes flow) area. For practicality, the two-phase seepage flow in a composite rock structure with multiscale pores is simulated by this new model, and the effects of viscosity ratio and wettability on the displacement process are discussed.

On the Interactions of Flocking Particles with the Stokes Flow in an Infinite Channel

On the Interactions of Flocking Particles with the Stokes Flow in an Infinite Channel

A weighted shifted boundary method for immersed moving boundary simulations of Stokes' flow

The Shifted Boundary Method (SBM) belongs to the class of unfitted (or immersed, or embedded) finite element methods, and relies on reformulating the original boundary value problem over a surrogate (approximate) computational domain. The surrogate domain is constructed so as to avoid cut cells and the associated problematic implementation and numerical integration issues. Accuracy is maintained by modifying the original boundary conditions using Taylor expansions: hence the name of the method, that shifts the location and values of the boundary conditions. In this article, we extend the SBM to the simulation of incompressible Stokes flow, by appropriately weighting its variational form with the elemental volume fraction of active fluid. This approach allows to drastically reduce spurious pressure oscillations in time, which are produced if the total volume of active fluid were to change abruptly over a time step. The proposed Weighted SBM (W-SBM) exactly preserves states of hydrostatic equilibrium, and induces small mass and momentum conservation errors, which converge as the grid is refined. This is in analogy to cutFEMs and related unfitted approaches, which rely on an affine representation of cut boundaries. We demonstrate the robustness and accuracy of the proposed method with an extensive suite of two-dimensional tests.

Folding of a growing hyperelastic sheet in a viscous fluid

Understanding the growth-induced deformation of soft materials in viscous environments is important for a variety of problems in nature and engineering. Here, we focus on the fluid–structure interaction of a hyperelastic sheet growing in an incompressible Newtonian fluid in the Stokes flow regime. We develop a computational framework for simulating this problem, where the isogeometric boundary integral method is used with the Kirchhoff–Love shell formulation and elastic–plastic decomposition of the deformation gradient tensor. We quantify the relative effects of the growth rate, the sheet bending rigidity, and the fluid viscosity on the fold formation and development of the growing sheet. Our results suggest that the viscous resistance to in-plane deformation promotes fold formation, whereas the viscous resistance to out-of-plane deformation suppresses fold development. We also investigate the effects of the thickness and aspect ratio of the rectangular sheet. Finally, we compare the growth- and prestrain-induced deformations to find a common behavior of sheets under viscous environments.

Finite element methods for multicomponent convection-diffusion

Abstract We develop finite element methods for coupling the steady-state Onsager–Stefan–Maxwell (OSM) equations to compressible Stokes flow. These equations describe multicomponent flow at low Reynolds number, where a mixture of different chemical species within a common thermodynamic phase is transported by convection and molecular diffusion. Developing a variational formulation for discretizing these equations is challenging: the formulation must balance physical relevance of the variables and boundary data, regularity assumptions, tractability of the analysis, enforcement of thermodynamic constraints, ease of discretization and extensibility to the transient, anisothermal and nonideal settings. To resolve these competing goals, we employ two augmentations: the first enforces the definition of mass-average velocity in the OSM equations, while its dual modifies the Stokes momentum equation to enforce symmetry. Remarkably, with these augmentations we achieve a Picard linearization of symmetric saddle point type, despite the equations not possessing a Lagrangian structure. Exploiting structure mandated by linear irreversible thermodynamics, we prove the inf-sup condition for this linearization, and identify finite element function spaces that automatically inherit well-posedness. We verify our error estimates with a numerical example, and illustrate the application of the method to nonideal fluids with a simulation of the microfluidic mixing of hydrocarbons.

From an obliquely falling rod in a viscous fluid to the motion of suspended magnetic bead chains that are driven by a gradient magnetic field and that make an arbitrary angle with the magnetic force vector: A Stokes flow study.

In view of the growing role of magnetic particles under magnetic field influence in medical and other applications, and perforce the bead chaining, it is important to understand more generally the chain dynamics. As is well known, in the presence of a magnetic field, magnetic beads tend to form chains that are aligned with the magnetic field vector. In addition, if there is a magnetic field gradient, there will be a magnetic force acting on this chain. The main goal of the present research is to study the motion of a magnetic bead chain that makes an arbitrary angle with the magnetic force vector in the Stokes flow limit, that is, in the limit of zero Reynolds number. We used the public-domain computer program HYDRO++ to calculate the mobility matrix, which relates the magnetic force acting on the chain to the velocity of the chain, for a chain of N beads making an arbitrary angle with the magnetic force vector. Because of the presence of off-diagonal elements of the mobility matrix, as the chain is drawn in the direction of the magnetic force, it is also deflected to the side. We derived analytic solutions for this motion. Also, for bead chains moving in directions both parallel and perpendicular to their lengths, we fit three-parameter functions to solutions from HYDRO++. We found the fits to be excellent. Combining these results with the analytic solutions, we obtained expressions for the velocity components for the bead chains that provide excellent fits to HYDRO++ solutions for arbitrary angles. Finally, we apply the methodology used for the bead chain studies to the study of an obliquely falling rod in a viscous fluid and derive analytic solutions for the velocity components of the obliquely falling rod.

Oscillations of a spherical particle in the presence of a flat interface separating two fluid phases

An analytical–numerical approach based on collocation techniques is introduced to examine the challenge of characterizing Stokes flow induced by a spherical particle in perpendicular motion to a plane interface that divides two semi-infinite, immiscible viscous fluid phases. The movement is examined under the conditions of low Reynolds and capillary numbers, where the interface undergoes negligible deformation. We contemplate both the rectilinear oscillations along and the rotational oscillation around an axis that is perpendicular to the interface. A comprehensive solution is formed by combining basic solutions in both cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems through superposition. Firstly, the boundary conditions at the fluid–fluid interface are fulfilled through Fourier–Bessel transforms, followed by addressing the conditions at the particle’s surface using a boundary collocation scheme. The drag force and torque coefficients, both in-phase and out-of-phase, acting on the particle are determined with satisfactory convergence across different geometric and physical parameter values. These results are illustrated through graphs and tables. We compare our results of drag force and torque coefficients with existing data in the literature, specifically for the limiting cases. The outcomes of this study highlight the substantial impact of the interface on both drag force and torque coefficients. This inquiry is driven by the necessity to enhance our comprehension of the fluid tapping mode in atomic force microscope devices, particularly when this mode involves an interface substrate with another fluid.

A coupled high-accuracy phase-field fluid–structure interaction framework for Stokes fluid-filled fracture surrounded by an elastic medium

In this work, we couple a high-accuracy phase-field fracture reconstruction approach iteratively to fluid–structure interaction. The key motivation is to utilise phase-field modelling to compute the fracture path. A mesh reconstruction allows a switch from interface-capturing to interface-tracking in which the coupling conditions can be realised in a highly accurate fashion. Consequently, inside the fracture, a Stokes flow can be modelled that is coupled to the surrounding elastic medium. A fully coupled approach is obtained by iterating between the phase-field and the fluid–structure interaction model. The resulting algorithm is demonstrated for several numerical examples of quasi-static brittle fractures. We consider both stationary and quasi-stationary problems. In the latter, the dynamics arise through an incrementally increasing given pressure.

On the stability of stationary compressible Navier–Stokes flows in 3D

AbstractThis paper studies the stability of the stationary solution of the compressible Navier–Stokes equation in the 3D whole space with an external force which decays at spatial infinity. We obtain the global existence result of the non-stationary problem under the smallness assumptions on the initial perturbation around the small stationary solution. We also derive the time decay rates of the perturbations under the smallness assumption on the initial perturbations, and show the optimality of the time decay rates. The proofs are based on the combination of the spectral analysis and energy method in the framework of Besov spaces. The time-space integral estimate for the linearized semigroup around the constant state in some Besov spaces plays a crucial role in the proofs.

Dynamics of pivoted slider bearings

We obtain the full equations of motion for a wide, pivoted, slider bearing. These are used to review the choice of the optimal position for the pivot point, to discuss its response to time-dependent sliding velocity, and to determine the stability of the motion. The case of an abrupt acceleration of the slider, which results in a large transient increase in the resistive force, is surprisingly complicated. We also discuss a general transversion formula for changing the dependent variables in Stokes flow problems.

Exact solutions to the oberbeck–boussinesq equations for convective stokes flows

To study large-scale convective flows (fluid motion in a thin layer), it is possible, for initial studies, to consider the Stokes approximation when integrating the Oberbeck–Boussinesq equation. The convective derivative in the momentum transfer equations and in the heat conduction equation is in this case assumed to be identically equal to zero. The paper discusses several approaches to constructing exact solutions for slow (creeping) flows of a non-uniformly heated fluid. Formulas for three-dimensional flows in the Lin–Sidorov–Aristov class are given for steady flows. The hydrodynamic fields are described by polynomials. Exact solutions are given for the velocity field nonlinearly depending on two spatial coordinates (longitudinal, or horizontal) with coefficients of nonlinear forms, which depend on the third coordinate. The study shows how it is possible to automate the computation of unknown coefficients for the formation of hydrodynamic fields (velocities and temperatures).

Modeling flow and deformation in porous media from pore-scale to the Darcy-scale

In this paper we address the connections between the computational models of coupled flow and mechanical deformation in soils at the Darcy-scale and pore-scale. At the Darcy scale the Biot model requires data including permeability which is traditionally provided by experiments and empirical measurements. At the pore-scale we consider the Discrete Element Method (DEM) to generate physically realistic assemblies of the particles, and we follow up with the Stokes flow model. Next we apply upscaling to obtain the permeabilities which we find dependent on the deformation. We outline the workflow with its challenges and methods, and present results which show, e.g., hysteretic dependence of the permeability and porosity on the load. We also show how to incorporate the deformation dependent permeability in a nonlinear Biot model, and illustrate with computational results.

Periodic and almost periodic motions of Navier–Stokes flows and their stability in a perturbed half-space

Periodic and almost periodic motions of Navier–Stokes flows and their stability in a perturbed half-space

Monge–Ampère geometry and vortices

We introduce a new approach to Monge–Ampère geometry based on techniques from higher symplectic geometry. Our work is motivated by the application of Monge–Ampère geometry to the Poisson equation for the pressure that arises for incompressible Navier–Stokes flows. Whilst this equation constitutes an elliptic problem for the pressure, it can also be viewed as a non-linear partial differential equation connecting the pressure, the vorticity, and the rate-of-strain. As such, it is a key diagnostic relation in the quest to understand the formation of vortices in turbulent flows. We study this equation via an associated (higher) Lagrangian submanifold in the cotangent bundle to the configuration space of the fluid. Using our definition of a (higher) Monge–Ampère structure, we study an associated metric on the cotangent bundle together with its pull-back to the (higher) Lagrangian submanifold. The signatures of these metrics are dictated by the relationship between vorticity and rate-of-strain, and their scalar curvatures can be interpreted in a physical context in terms of the accumulation of vorticity, strain, and their gradients. We show explicity, in the case of two-dimensional flows, how topological information can be derived from the Monge–Ampère geometry of the Lagrangian submanifold. We also demonstrate how certain solutions to the three-dimensional incompressible Navier–Stokes equations, such as Hill’s spherical vortex and an integrable case of Arnol’d–Beltrami–Childress flow, have symmetries that facilitate a formulation of these solutions from the perspective of (higher) symplectic reduction.

Shape optimization for the Stokes system with threshold leak boundary conditions

This paper discusses the process of optimizing the shape of systems that are controlled by the Stokes flow with threshold leak boundary conditions. In the theoretical part it focuses on studying the stability of solutions to the state problem in relation to a specific set of domains. In order to facilitate computation, the slip term and impermeability condition are regulated. In the computational part, the optimized portion of the boundary is defined using Bézier polynomials, in order to create a finite dimensional optimization problem. The paper also includes numerical examples to demonstrate the computational efficiency of this approach.

Controlled transport of fluid particles by microrotors in a Stokes flow using linear transfer operators

The manipulation of a collection of fluid particles in a low Reynolds number environment has several important applications. As we demonstrate in this paper, this manipulation problem is related to the scientific question of how fluid flow structures direct Lagrangian transport. We investigate this problem of directing the transport by manipulating the flow, specifically in the Stokes flow context, by controlling the strengths of two rotors fixed in space. We demonstrate a novel dynamical systems approach for this problem and apply this method to several scenarios of Stokes flow in unbounded and bounded domains. Furthermore, we show that the time-varying flow field produced by the optimal control can be understood in terms of dynamical structures such as coherent sets that define Lagrangian transport. We model the time evolution of the fluid particle density using finite-dimensional approximations of the Liouville operators for the microrotor flow fields. Using these operators, the particle transport problem is framed as an optimal control problem, which we solve numerically. This framework is then applied to the problem of transporting a blob of fluid particles in domains with different boundary conditions: free space, near to a plane wall, in a circular confinement, and the transport of two distributions of particles to a common target. These examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework and also shed light on the effects of boundaries on the ability to achieve a desired fluid transport using a rotor-driven flow.

On the Hinch–Kim dualism between singularity and Faxén operators in the hydromechanics of arbitrary bodies in Stokes flows

We generalize the multipole expansion and the structure of the Faxén operator in Stokes flows obtained for bodies with no-slip to generic boundary conditions, addressing the assumptions under which this generalization is conceivable. We show that a disturbance field generated by a body immersed in an ambient flow can be expressed, independently on the boundary conditions, as a multipole expansion, the coefficients of which are the moments of the volume forces. We find that the dualism between the operator giving the disturbance field of an nth order ambient flow and the nth order Faxén operator, referred to as the Hinch–Kim dualism, holds only if the boundary conditions satisfy a property that we call Boundary-Condition reciprocity (BC-reciprocity). If this property is fulfilled, the Faxén operators can be expressed in terms of the (m, n)th order geometrical moments of the volume forces (defined in the article). In addition, it is shown that in these cases, the hydromechanics of the fluid-body system is completely determined by the entire set of the Faxén operators. Finally, classical boundary conditions of hydrodynamic applications are investigated in light of this property: boundary conditions for rigid bodies, Newtonian drops at the mechanical equilibrium, porous bodies modeled by the Brinkman equations are BC-reciprocal, while deforming linear elastic bodies, deforming Newtonian drops, non-Newtonian drops, and porous bodies modeled by the Darcy equations do not have this property. For Navier-slip boundary conditions on a rigid body, we find the analytical expression for low order Faxén operators. By using these operators, the closed form expressions for the flow past a sphere with arbitrary slip length immersed in shear and quadratic flows are obtained.

Deformation and breakup of a ferrofluid droplet in shear flow under magnetic field

Effects of magnetic field applied perpendicular to a shear plane in shear flow on the deformation of a ferrofluid droplet are numerically investigated. The boundary integral method is employed to solve the two-phase Stokes flow under a uniform magnetic field. When the magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the shear plane, the deformation of the droplet in the shear plane decreases. The magnetic field causes the droplet to elongate in the y-direction, and its cross-sectional radius in shear plane decreases. Consequently, the apparent capillary number in the shear plane decreases, thereby suppressing the droplet deformation. Droplet breakup is also suppressed by imposing a magnetic field perpendicular to the shear plane, thereby increasing the critical capillary numbers. The critical capillary numbers for the magnetic Bond numbers Bo = 2.0 and 4.0 increase to approximately 110% and 130%, respectively, than those without magnetic field. Furthermore, an equation for the theoretical prediction of the droplet deformation under a magnetic field in shear flow is presented, which is based on the small deformation theory, the decrease in the cross-sectional radius, and the boundary conditions at the droplet interface. The theoretical prediction agrees well with the numerical results for the variation in the magnetic susceptibility of the droplet as well as the viscosity ratio between the external fluid and the ferrofluid droplet under a small deformation. The critical capillary numbers under a magnetic field can also be predicted by using the numerical results without a magnetic field.

Effects of body shape on hydrodynamic interactions in a dense diamond fish school

To examine the effect that body shape plays in the interactions between fish in a dense fish school, fish-like undulating foils are numerically studied in a high-density diamond school. Shape parameters of leading edge radius, boattail angle, and maximum thickness location along the body are independently varied to control the body shape. A traveling wave is prescribed to the body, and the flow around the school is solved using an immersed boundary method-based incompressible Navier–Stokes flow solver. Our findings indicate that body shape does play a significant role in the performance of the school and varies school efficiency and thrust productions by as much as 7% and 40%, respectively, and changes the efficiency in individual swimmers within the school by up to 25%. The leading edge radius drives the scale of the anterior body suction experienced throughout the school. A rounder leading edge generates more suction but consequently consumes more power. Changes to the location of the maximum thickness along the foil significantly impact the wall effect in the school by changing the shape of the “wall.” A maximum thickness that occurs at or in front of the closest point of interaction between the body and tail is favored. Finally, changes to the boattail angle manipulate the shape of the active channels in the school altering vortex–body interactions and the wall effect. A large boattail angle leads to a pinching that prohibits significant flow in the channels, reducing performance.